HELSINKI — Finnish security researchers have found a way to gain access to entire buildings and hotel chains — all it takes is one keycard.<br /><br />According to a press release from data security firm F-Secure, two of the company's consultants discovered a software vulnerability in Vision by VingCard electronic lock systems, which is used in millions of hotel rooms worldwide.<br /><br />The pair wanted to find out if it's possible to open an electronically locked room without leaving a trace, and developed their own software to hack into the keycards.<br /><br />They found that information from a single keycard, even an expired and discarded one, can be scanned and copied using a small device.<br /><br />With custom software, it takes only a minute to decode the card and generate a master key, which can bypass any lock, allowing unrestricted access to any hotel or facility.<br /><br />The two consultants have since worked with lock manufacturer Assa Abloy to fix the software flaw with an update, which was made available to hotels last February.
